Victoria's Return
by WanderingAngel
Summary: After many years on the run, Victoria Metcalfe is ready to turn herself in. She reaches out to Fraser & Ray and arranges to meet with them in New York City, at 9:00am,on September 11, 2001 at the Windows on the World Restaurant in the World Trade Center.


**Victoria's Return**

_Disclaimer: I own nothing, and this story is an attempt to deal with some lingering emotions from a truly horrific day._

Summary: After many years on the run, Victoria Metcalfe is ready to turn herself in. She reaches out to Fraser & Ray and arranges to meet with them in New York City, at 9:00am,on September 11, 2001 at the Windows on the World Restaurant in the World Trade Center.

Author's Note: First off, I am totally disregarding the ending of the series in that for the purposes of this story, everyone is still on the force, and nobody left for new adventures.

September 10, 2001

"Special delivery for Constable Benton Fraser". The FedEx driver called as he entered the squad room of the Chicago PD, 27th district. Fraser, sitting with Detective Ray Vecchio and Detective Stanley Raymond Kowalski at Vecchio's desk, called out "I am Constable Fraser". The FedEx driver placed the package on Ray's desk and Fraser signed the receipt.

"What is it Benny?" Vecchio asked after the driver left as the Mountie examined the package. It was a padded manilla envelope, about 8.5 by 11 inches. Interestingly enough there did not seem to be a return address, although there was a postmark saying that the package was shipped from, of all places, New York City.

"Who do you know in New York City that would send you a package Fraser?" Kowalski asked.

"I do not know Ray", Fraser said.

Just then Diefenbaker, Fraser's wolf, walked up to Vecchio's desk and began to sniff at the package. However, the instant he sniffed it he immediately backed off and growled at the package, fangs bared and hair standing on end. The ferocity surprised everyone.

"Jeez Fraser, what got into him!" Kowalski shouted.

"Diefenbaker heel!" Fraser commanded the wolf as he once again picked up the package and began a closer examination.

"Benny, could it be a bomb?" asked Ray Vecchio. Although Fraser may have had the patience of a saint and the manners to back it up, through working with Vecchio and Kowalski he had accumulated a few enemies over the years that would love nothing more than the chance to take out the Mountie.

Fraser began sniffing the package as well. "Hmmm" he murmured after a moment.

"Well Benny?" Vecchio asked impatiently.

Fraser took a few more deep sniffs, then his eyes went wide. "Oh dear!" he said as he reached into his pocket and took out a small pocketknife. He slit the package open and poured the contents onto the desk. There were only two items. The first was a cellphone. It was a small flip phone, and on the back of the phone there was a piece of scotch tape with what was presumably the phone number taped to the back of the phone. The second item was a picture. Fraser picked it up and carefully examined it closely. On the back of the photo was a cryptic message 'I am tired of running. I have been everywhere and seen much. I am ready to turn myself in. Meet me here at 9:00am September 11, 2001.' It was a 3x5 photo, and it was clear that whoever had taken it was clearly high above the ground. He was able to pick out the tops of other nearby buildings, and he was also able to see a river running through the middle of the picture. At one point he picked up a magnifying glass, and after another moment, put it down and looked up at Ray Vecchio. "It's her," he said. "This picture was taken in New York City, from the top of the World Trade Center at the Windows on the World Restaurant. She wants to meet us there, to finally turn herself in."

"Who's her? Who wants to turn herself in?" Kowalski asked, clearly puzzled.

Fraser and Vecchio shared a look. Now they understood what had gotten Diefenbaker so riled up. With a nod from Fraser, Vecchio told Kowalski all about Victoria Metcalfe, what she had done to the Mountie, how she had allegedly shot Diefenbaker when he had attempted to stop her from escaping and later tried to frame Fraser for her crimes. Kowalski looked at Fraser when Vecchio mentioned how he had to shoot Fraser to prevent him from throwing his life (and career) away when he tried to join Victoria by attempting to jump on a moving train as it was leaving Union Station. Until the arrival of this package, they had not heard from Victoria since that night at the train station.

"Why do you think she's ready to turn herself in now, after all these years?" asked Ray Vecchio.

"I don't know Ray," said Fraser as he got up to walk to Lieutenant Welsh's office, and the other's following.

They knocked on the door. "Come in," Welsh said. He looked up at Vechio, Kowalksi and Fraser, as Dief took a seat right inside the door. "What is it Vecchio?" Welsh asked. Vecchio closed the door, then turned to the Lieutenant. Welsh saw that whatever was on his mind was serious, but whatever he might have been expecting the detective to say, he was not expecting Vecchio to say "Victoria's back."

Welsh knew all about what she had done to Fraser all those years ago. He was there at the train station when Vecchio shot Fraser. So when Vecchio and Fraser showed him the package and what she wanted to do, Welsh sat back and pondered a moment, "After all these years…." He shook his head after a few moments and made a few phone calls.

"Ok Vecchio, I have you & Fraser booked on a 4:00PM flight out of O'Hare, get you into Newark two hours later; should give you time to settle in before you pick her up tomorrow. Kowalski, I need you here, so that's why I'm only sending Vecchio & Fraser." As they all filed out the door, he called out, "Hey Constable," as they paused and turned back,"you & Ray be careful out there."

"We will sir."

After they left, Vecchio dropped Fraser off back at the Canadian Consulate so he could pack a few things. As Fraser & Diefenbaker got out of the car, Vecchio asked, "You ready for this Benny?"

"I have to be Ray. She is still a fugitive from justice, and it is our job to arrest her and make sure she pays for her crimes." With that he got out of the car and went inside the Consulate, passing Constable Turnbull who was standing guard outside.

In his office, Fraser finally let his emotions and feelings about Victoria wash over him, and the Mountie had to close his eyes as he let himself relive the memories of her. He wasn't sure how he felt now that after all these years she was finally turning herself in. To think that he had almost thrown it all away by jumping onto the train….

"You know it wouldn't have been worth it Son, if you had got on that train. Everything that you had worked so hard for…getting on that train would have gone against everything you stood for, everything that you are. You know that right?" Fraser looked up to see his Dad standing there, dressed in full Red Serge, hands clasped behind him.

"I know Dad, I know. It's just…how do you deal with something like this? What do you do when your past comes rushing back at you? How do you cope?"

"It's not easy Benton, but the bottom line is when you finally see her in New York, when it comes time to arrest her, you have got to be objective and not lose sight of what you went there to do."

"That's easy for you to say Dad. You're dead."

Fraser's Dad, long since dead yet still played a part of Benton Fraser's life as a ghost that only Benton (well, with the exception of Sgt. Buck Frobisher) could see or hear, only shrugged ruefully but said nothing in reply.

Benton finished packing a few things, then proceeded to the door. He had to let Inspector Thatcher know what was going on before Ray picked him up and they left for the airport. As he had his hand on the door, his father called out, "Be careful Son."

"I will Dad, I promise."

He went over to Inspector Thatcher's office door, and cast a quick look at Diefenbaker before he moved to knock on the door. For his part, the wolf just wined softly but otherwise said nothing else.

He knocked on the door. "Come in," the voice of Inspector Meg Thatcher replied. Fraser went in, with Dief following behind him. "What is it Constable?" Fraser's superior officer asked.

"I need some time off sir."

The Inspector raised an eyebrow as she looked at the Mountie. "Whatever for Constable?"

Fraser showed her the picture and the cellphone. "This came to me in the mail earlier," he said as she looked at the picture. Something in his voice mad her stop examining the picture to look at Fraser. She noticed his eyes were moist, and there seemed to be a hitch to his voice. In her opinion, he looked like he saw a ghost, and mentioned as much to him. "She's back Inspector. Victoria Metcalfe." Thatcher's eyes went wide, and understood why he looked the way he did. Though she had not been around when she was last in Chicago, she still knew the details of what happened when she read his file. As Benton summarized for her what he & Ray were doing, Thatcher knew what had to be done. "You be careful Constable."

"I will be Inspector. Thank You Kindly." Fraser replied.

As Fraser & Diefenbaker walked out through the front door, Ray was just pulling up front. Fraser & Dief got in, and they went out to the airport.

Later, as their plane taxied to the runway and took off, Vecchio turned to Fraser, who seemed lost in his own thoughts as he looked out the window. Trying to make some small talk, he said, "You know Dief is going to be royally pissed at you for making him travel in the cargo hold don't you? If I know that wolf, nothing short of a box of Dunkin Donuts will prevent him from staying mad at you for long. In fact, if you listen over the roar of the engine, you can hear him howling from below." Ray knew that was not really the case, and Fraser tore his gaze from the window long enough to give Vecchio a scornful look, but Vecchio could clearly see his thoughts were elsewhere.

As the plane flew over Lake Michigan on its course for Newark, Vecchio could only barely imagine what Fraser was going through right now. Neither of them knew however, that no matter what they thought would happen tomorrow, they would not be prepared for what was about to happen the following morning.


End file.
